1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a legged mobile robot control system, particularly to a system for controlling a legged mobile robot configured to be capable of conducting or guiding a human being to a destination such as a reception room of a company where the robot is placed.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has hitherto been proposed a technique in which a legged mobile robot is controlled to conduct or guide a visitor in a company or some similar places, as taught by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-299026, for example. In the prior art mentioned in this reference, all visitors are detected from cameras installed at the entrance, exit, etc., of the company to be conducted to their destinations effectively.
To be more specific, in the prior art, every visitor is photographed to have his/her face image, information including ID of the visitor is then prepared from the face image with consent of the visitor, and the robot is controlled to conduct the visitors in accordance with the information, thereby enabling to effectively conduct the visitors one by one to their destinations.
However, the prior art is not always satisfactory, since the robot is not controlled to conduct the visitors while keeping pace with the visitors. For example, the robot is not controlled to ascertain if the visitors follow during conducting. With this, the prior art is not always satisfactory in establishing communication with the visitors.